Pipe Flaring Device

ABSTRACT

A pipe flaring tool includes a case member, a clamping member, a flaring module, a feeding member and a connecting member. The case member has a first end, a second end, a chamber and a bore at the first end and communicated with the chamber. The clamping member connected to the second end of the case member. The flaring module is received in the chamber, having a shaft and a flaring terminal. The flaring terminal is connected to an end of the shaft and proximal to the clamping member. An opposite end of the shaft is proximal to the bore of the case member to engage a power tool through the bore. A feeding member is received in the chamber. A connecting member is detachably connected to the flaring module to the feeding member, wherein the flaring module and the feeding member are turned and moved together.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Technical Field

The present invention relates to a tool for flaring pipes and tubes, andmore particularly to a pipe flaring device.

2. Description of Related Art

Conventional pipe flaring devices are used to enlarge a diameter of anend of a metal pipe to allow the pipe able to be connected to anotherpipe. This task is very common in installation of air conditionmachines.

Conventional pipe flaring devices usually are hand tool. They usuallyare provided with a crank for user to turn it for flaring pipes.Therefore, it is a heavy duty work for women and some people with littlestrength.

An improved pipe flaring device is driven by a power tool. The workerhas to operate the power tool in the entire pipe flaring task. Forexample, the worker has to stop the power tool when the pipe is flared,and reversely operate power tool to return the pipe flaring device forthe next pipe flaring task. Over driving the pipe flaring device,including forwards and reverse, may damage the pipe or the pipe flaringdevice.

Therefore, it needs a suitable mechanism to prevent the pipe flaringdevice from being overturned by the power tool.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the above, the primary objective of the present invention isto provide a pipe flaring device, which may prevent the pipe flaringdevice from being overturned by the power tool.

In order to achieve the objective of the present invention, a pipeflaring tool is driven by a power tool to enlarge a diameter of an endof a pipe, includes a case member has a first end and a second end,wherein the case member has a chamber therein and a bore at the firstend and communicated with the chamber. A clamping member is connected tothe second end of the case member for holding the pipe. A flaring moduleis received in the chamber of the case member, having a shaft and aflaring terminal, wherein the flaring terminal is connected to an end ofthe shaft and proximal to the clamping member, and an opposite end ofthe shaft is proximal to the bore of the case member to engage the powertool through the bore. A feeding member is received in the chamber ofthe case member, to be reciprocated in a limited range. A connectingmember is detachably connected to the flaring module to the feedingmember, wherein the flaring module and the feeding member are turned andmoved together when the connecting member connects the flaring module tothe feeding member, and the flaring module is turned and the feedingmember is kept still when the connecting member disconnects the flaringmodule to the feeding member.

In an embodiment, the connecting member has a rod and an elastic member;the rod is movably connected to the flaring module, and the elasticmember urges the rod toward the feeding member; the feeding member has ahole; the connecting member connects the flaring module to the feedingmember by the rod engaging the hole, and the connecting memberdisconnects the flaring module to the feeding member by the roddisengaging the hole.

In an embodiment, the rod is provided with a slot; a pin has an endfixed to the flaring module and an end extending to the slot.

In an embodiment, the rod has an inclined face on an end facing thefeeding member.

In an embodiment, the feeding member is provided with a threadedportion, and the case member is provided with an outer threaded section;both the feeding member and the flaring module are turned andreciprocated when the threaded portion of the feeding member engages theouter threaded section of the case member.

In an embodiment, the feeding member further is provided with a flatportion next to the threaded portion; both the feeding member and theflaring module are turned only when the threaded portion of the feedingmember disengages the outer threaded section of the case member and theflat portion is associated with the outer threaded section.

In an embodiment, the pipe flaring tool further includes a spring havingopposite ends urging the feeding member and the flaring module.

In an embodiment, the feeding member has a room, in which the spring isreceived; the shaft of the flaring module has passes through the room ofthe feeding member and the spring.

In an embodiment, the flaring member has a base, on which the connectingmember is provided, and the spring urges the feeding member toward thebase to make the feeding member touch the base of the flaring membernormally.

In an embodiment, the connecting member separates the feeding memberfrom the base of the flaring member when the connecting memberdisconnects the feeding member to the flaring member.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be best understood by referring to thefollowing detailed description of some illustrative embodiments inconjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the preferred embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the preferred embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the preferred embodiment of the presentinvention, showing pipe flaring tool being driven forwards to flare apipe; and

FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 are partial sectional views of the preferredembodiment of the present invention, showing the movement of theconnecting member.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

As shown in FIG. 1, a pipe flaring device of the preferred embodiment ofthe present invention, which is intended to connect a power tool 100 toenlarge a diameter of an end of a pipe 200, includes a case member 10, aclamping member 20, a flaring module 30, a feeding member 40, and aconnecting member 50.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the case member 10 includes a housing 11, aring 12 and a connector 13. The housing 11 is an elongated hollow memberwith an elliptical cross section, having a first end 14 and a second end15. The housing 11 further has a chamber 16 therein. The ring 12 isreceived in the chamber 16 and fixed to an inner side of the housing 11.The ring 12 has an inner threaded section 18 on an interior sidethereof. The connector 13 is connected to the second end 15 of thehousing 11, to which the clamping member 20 is connected. The housing 11has a bore on the first end 14, and the bore is communicated with thechamber 16. A buffering member 17, which is a ring-like flexible member,is inserted into the bore. The buffering member 17 has a slot on anouter side to engage the housing 11, so that the buffering member 17 isfixed and has a portion extending into the chamber 16.

The clamping member 20 is connected to the second end 15 of the casemember 10 through the connector 13. The clamping member 20 is aconventional device designated to holding the pipe 200 to be flared.

The flaring module 30 is received in the chamber 16 of the case member10, including a base 31, a post 32, a shaft 33, and a flaring terminal34. The base 31 is a disk-like member, having a recess 37 on a bottomside. The post 32 has an end connected to a top side of the base 31 andhas a hexagonal hole on a distal end which aligns with the bore of thehousing 11. The shaft 33 has an end connected to the bottom side of thebase 31 and has a head 35 on a distal end thereof. The head 35 has amounting portion 36, to which the flaring terminal 34 is connected. Adistal end of the flaring terminal 34 extends to the second end 15 ofthe case member 10 and faces the clamping member 20.

The feeding member 40, which is a tubular member, is fitted to the shaft33 and has opposite ends abutting against the head 35 and bottom side ofthe base 31. The feeding member 40 is provided with an outer threadedsection 41 on an outer surface and a room 43 therein. The outer threadedsection 41 has a threaded portion 410 and a flat portion 411. Thefeeding member 40 is moved to have the threaded portion 410 engaging theinner threaded section 18 of the ring 12 or have flat portion 411associated with the inner threaded section 18 (in this condition, thethreaded portion 410 disengages the inner threaded section 18). A spring42 is received in the room 43 of the feeding member 40 and fitted to theshaft 33. The spring 43 has opposite ends urging a bottom of the room 43of the feeding member 40 and the head 35 of the shaft 30 (through twowashers) to urge the feeding member 40 toward the bottom side of thebase 31 that make the feeding member 40 normally rests against the base31 of the flaring module 30. The feeding member 40 has a hole 45associated with the recess 37 of the base 31.

The connecting member 50 has a rod 51 and an elastic member 52, whereinthe elastic member 52 and the rod 51 are installed in the recess 37 ofthe base 31 in sequence, and the elastic member 52 urges the rod 51outwards. The rod 51 is provided with a slot 53 (FIG. 5), and a pin 54is inserted into the slot 53 from outside of the base 31, so that theelastic member 52 and the rod 51 are restricted in the recess 37 and therod 51 is allowed to be reciprocated in a limited range. The rod 51 hasan inclined face 55 on a distal end thereof. Normally, the rod 51extends into the hole 45 of the feeding member 40 that makes the feedingmember 40 be turned by the flaring module 30.

As shown in FIG. 4, a pipe 200 is selected to be clamped by the clampingmember 20 to be flared. When the power tool 100 engages the hexagonalhole of the post 32 through the bore and drives the flaring module 30 toturn in a forward direction, the feeding member 40 is turned and movesdownward because of an engagement of the threaded portion 410 of thefeeding member 40 and the inner threaded section 18 of the ring 12. Inthe same time, the flaring module 30 will be moved downward by thefeeding member 40 to make the flaring terminal 34 flare the pipe 200.When the flaring terminal 34 is moved downwards to a predeterminedposition, it will be stopped by the clamping member 20 and unable tomove anymore even the power tool 100 is driving. As a result, thefeeding member 40 is stopped, but the power tool 100 keeps driving theflaring module 30. As shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, the post 51 will beforced to leave the hole 45 of the feeding member 40, and the spring 42is compressed to make the feeding member 40 and the base 31 separatefrom each other to allow the base 31 to turn and the feeding member 40to stay still. After the base 31 is turned a round, the rod 51 will dropinto the hole 45 and the feeding member 40 is attached to the base 31again by the spring 42. Soon after that, the post 51 is forced to leavethe hole 45 and feeding member 40 and the base 31 separate from eachother. It provides a vibration to warn the operator that the flaringtask is completed, and you could stop the power tool 100.

After the flaring task, the operator has to operate the power tool 100to turn in a backward direction to drive both the flaring module 30 andthe feeding member 40 upwards for another flaring task. As shown in FIG.3, when the feeding member 40 is moved upwards to have the threadedportion 410 no longer engages the inner threaded section 18 of the ring12, and the flat portion 411 is associated with the inner threadedsection 18 of the ring 12. The feeding member 40 still is turned, butwill not be forced to move. As a result, the flaring module 30 and thefeeding member 40 will be turned but not moved. The operator will findit in a short and understand the return task is completed. It is notedthat the post 32 will touch the buffering member 17 when the flatportion 411 is associated with the inner threaded section 18 to protectthe flaring module 30 from being damaged.

The present invention provides a pipe flaring device, which avoidsflaring the pipes overly. In the other words, when the flaring terminalhas flared the pipe, the feeding member not moves downward anymore. Thepresent invention provides an innovative idea for industries, and urgesthe industries to further development.

It must be pointed out that the embodiments described above are onlysome preferred embodiments of the present invention. All equivalentstructures which employ the concepts disclosed in this specification andthe appended claims should fall within the scope of the presentinvention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A pipe flaring tool, which is driven by a powertool to enlarge a diameter of an end of a pipe, comprising: a casemember has a first end and a second end, wherein the case member has achamber therein and a bore at the first end and communicated with thechamber; a clamping member connected to the second end of the casemember for holding the pipe; a flaring module, which is received in thechamber of the case member, having a shaft and a flaring terminal,wherein the flaring terminal is connected to an end of the shaft andproximal to the clamping member, and an opposite end of the shaft isproximal to the bore of the case member to engage the power tool throughthe bore; a feeding member, which is received in the chamber of the casemember, to be reciprocated in a limited range; and a connecting memberdetachably connecting the flaring module to the feeding member, whereinthe flaring module and the feeding member are turned and moved togetherwhen the connecting member connects the flaring module to the feedingmember, and the flaring module is turned and the feeding member is keptstill when the connecting member disconnects the flaring module to thefeeding member.
 2. The pipe flaring tool of claim 1, wherein theconnecting member has a rod and an elastic member; the rod is movablyconnected to the flaring module, and the elastic member urges the rodtoward the feeding member; the feeding member has a hole; the connectingmember connects the flaring module to the feeding member by the rodengaging the hole, and the connecting member disconnects the flaringmodule to the feeding member by the rod disengaging the hole.
 3. Thepipe flaring tool of claim 2, wherein the rod is provided with a slot; apin has an end fixed to the flaring module and an end extending to theslot.
 4. The pipe flaring tool of claim 2, wherein the rod has aninclined face on an end facing the feeding member.
 5. The pipe flaringtool of claim 1, wherein the feeding member is provided with a threadedportion, and the case member is provided with an outer threaded section;both the feeding member and the flaring module are turned andreciprocated when the threaded portion of the feeding member engages theouter threaded section of the case member.
 6. The pipe flaring tool ofclaim 5, wherein the feeding member further is provided with a flatportion next to the threaded portion; both the feeding member and theflaring module are turned only when the threaded portion of the feedingmember disengages the outer threaded section of the case member and theflat portion is associated with the outer threaded section.
 7. The pipeflaring tool of claim 1, further comprising a spring having oppositeends urging the feeding member and the flaring module.
 8. The pipeflaring tool of claim 7, wherein the feeding member has a room, in whichthe spring is received; the shaft of the flaring module has passesthrough the room of the feeding member and the spring.
 9. The pipeflaring tool of claim 7, wherein the flaring member has a base, on whichthe connecting member is provided, and the spring urges the feedingmember toward the base to make the feeding member touch the base of theflaring member normally.
 10. The pipe flaring tool of claim 9, whereinthe connecting member separates the feeding member from the base of theflaring member when the connecting member disconnects the feeding memberto the flaring member.